The present invention is directed particularly to the field of self-service mailing of parcel post packages. It may use a special printed label having identifiable markings easily locatable and readable both electronically and by eye, as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,942 entitled "Article Sorting Apparatus and Method".
Background material which expose the magnitude of posting and sorting mail, solved by self-service posting and mechanically sorting, is contained in the many publications of the Postal Service such as "Memorandum to Industry on Postal Needs" by H. F. Faught, Assistant Postmaster General (1970), and the "Proceedings of the United States Postal Service Conference", "Invitation to Industry" (1970) which were distributed to encourage industry to meet the needs of the Postal Service for handling mail. The Postal Service reports that there are some one half trillion sorts per year and one of the main purposes of this invention is to automate that sorting and to assist in providing stamps for mailing to facilitate that automatic sorting.
There are a large number of prior art disclosures and apparatus presently available which may have similar objectives as for example those referenced in my earlier application.
There are a number of prior art systems for computing and printing postage for one class of mail, (See U.S. Pats. Furlong No. 3,594,735, Salava No. 3,635,297, Adler No. 3,057,547 and Wahlberg No. 3,290,491), however the lines of customers waiting at post offices to mail packages show that such facilities do not provide a suitable apparatus and method for avoiding this congestion as would self-service mailing of parcels to post offices designated by zip codes. Moreover, none of the labels prepared furnishes means for automatically sorting packages. There are also prior art systems for mechanically preparing weight tickets issued by scales. They also do not include a combination to provide the means for computation of a charge as based upon stored factors corresponding to zip codes of addresses, to furnish a means for computing the amount for the postage label.
While the present invention is directed principally toward a method and apparatus for self-service mailing of packages and the sorting of same for distribution, it will be apparent that several features to be described later in detail, can be used to advantage in other article sorting systems, including envelopes as disclosed in my earlier application.
The object of this invention is to economically furnish a means for a customer to obtain quickly, easily, and accurately the amount to be paid for postage for his package and have the postage label printed with characteristics adapted for automatic sorting of the package with a view to saving labor.
In a simple preferred form the invention contemplates placing the package to be mailed into a pan-like tray or receiver means of a computer addressing scale. The customer enters the addressee's zip code, a multidigit number, and weighs the article. The apparatus uses recorded data in an electronic data bank for all zip codes to obtain from the data bank a factor to be used by the apparatus to compute the amount of postage needed for the weight of the package. It prints the postage label which shows the amount along with the zip code of the addressee. The computer may also activate a display showing the postage due as well as other information such as the locality having the zip code entered as confirmation. The said stamp is placed on the article, and as the article is moved along a conveyor for sorting, furnishes the zip code marking readable by electronic sensors to activate gases for its sorting.